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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — to push
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. kick — in football
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — a publisher
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com